Spike Milligan is in a very disruptive mood during this edition, which produces laughter from Harry Enfield and Michael Ball, but less amusement from Arthur Smith.
Many years later in The Independent (10th October 2011) Terry Wogan was asked the question of which of his guests he wanted to "throttle the most", and Spike was among the six cited: "Spike Milligan was always difficult. He was a good friend of mine and, as any of his friends will tell you, Spike could come and go. He was a manic-depressive. If you got him when he was manic, he would drive you mad. I think I preferred him when he was depressed."
Many years later in The Independent (10th October 2011) Terry Wogan was asked the question of which of his guests he wanted to "throttle the most", and Spike was among the six cited: "Spike Milligan was always difficult. He was a good friend of mine and, as any of his friends will tell you, Spike could come and go. He was a manic-depressive. If you got him when he was manic, he would drive you mad. I think I preferred him when he was depressed."
Spike tells a joke about a man who claims he has poor eyesight, but an optician takes him outside and shows him the stars, illustrating that his eyesight can't be that bad if he can see such a distance. Spike claims to have written the joke that day, but the joke (usually with the sun instead of stars) was at least several years old.
Despite his mock misgivings on this edition, Arthur Smith cited Spike Milligan as a particular favourite comedian of his in his 2009 autobiography "My name is Daphne Fairfax":
"Unlike some comics, I was not a comedy obsessive as an adolescent but I absorbed what was around. On TV, the performers I admired were to be found among the Oxbridge set - Monty Python, Beyond the Fringe, Pete and Dud. I was also fond of Hancock, The Goons and, especially, Spike Milligan."
"Unlike some comics, I was not a comedy obsessive as an adolescent but I absorbed what was around. On TV, the performers I admired were to be found among the Oxbridge set - Monty Python, Beyond the Fringe, Pete and Dud. I was also fond of Hancock, The Goons and, especially, Spike Milligan."